Author
David
Everyone knows the basic rule of pairing a wine with your food: white with fish, red with meat.
However with increasingly sophisticated and exotic foods becoming commonplace, that rule starts to look a little bit old-fashioned.
While the basic guideline works well as a framework, try to consider the flavours and textures of the meal.
Author
Damien Wilde
While the very name evokes toe curling in some, devotees of haggis extol its virtues as Robert Burns’ “great chieftain o’ the pudding race!”
It is the Scottish national dish, commonly served with ‘neeps and tatties’, or boiled and mashed turnip and potato.
Along with a dram of whisky, it forms the famous Burns Supper.
Author
DavidA quiche is one of the simplest and most useful dishes you can have in your cooking repertoire.
With a few basic store cupboard ingredients you can knock up a variety of flavours to suit a number of occasions.
The basic concept remains the same: a pastry case with a creamy, eggy filling.
It’s the possibility of fillings that is almost endless.
Author
David
As the British palate becomes increasingly sophisticated, rarer fruits and vegetables are becoming common sights in the larger supermarkets.
Celebrity chefs may be perfectly confident dealing with some of these bulbous objects but some can be daunting to a first timer.
Here’s how to deal with some of the less common vegetables:
Author
DavidEvery busy cook needs a repertoire of quick, easy, go-to recipes to get them out of trouble when time is tight or they simply don’t have the energy to get creative.
Chicken is ideal and with the addition of a few everyday store cupboard ingredients you get a range of dishes that are light on time but generous on taste.
Finish the meal with some fresh fruit, such as pineapple or strawberries, with cream and you have a complete, delicious and nutritious meal that gives the impression it took far more than 30 minutes to prepare.
Sticky Chicken Pieces
Pour the sauce over the chicken pieces and make sure they are thoroughly coated.
Roast for about half an hour, until the chicken is cooked through and serve with rice and a green salad.
Stuffed Chicken Breasts
With a sharp knife, make a slit in the middle of each chicken breast and fill with the cream cheese, topped with a sage leaf.
Wrap each chicken breast in two pieces of Parma ham so the filling is neatly contained in the parcel.
Place onto a greased baking tray and cook for about 25 minutes in the oven.
Serve with some new potatoes and peas or spinach.
Author
David
Although good-quality fresh pasta is easily available at the shops, making your own pasta is fun and the results are delicious.
Basic pasta mix for 3-4 servings:
Arrange the flour in a pile on a clean work surface and make a hole or well in the middle.
Author
DavidCrudites
Raw vegetables, sliced into small batons to be dipped in a sauce, usually served as a starter or appetiser.
Braising
Cooking slowly in a little liquid in a lidded container. Meats are usually seared first.
Croquettes
Small rolls of mashed potato with fish, meat or vegetables coated in breadcrumbs and fried.
Creaming
The method of combining softened butter and sugar by beating together until a fluffy, light consistency and a pale colour is reached.
This is used in a number of cake recipes which require air in the mixture to help it to rise.
Coulis
A smooth fruit or vegetable sauce, of a fine consistency to be poured.
Blanching
Plunging fruit or vegetables very briefly into fast-boiling water to cook very lightly.
Often used to preserve flavour, texture and colour before freezing or to loosen skins on items such as tomatoes or peaches.
Roux
The base for many sauces made from butter and flour, in equal quantities.
The butter is melted and the flour is mixed in and cooked for a minute or two, to make a smooth paste that will thicken liquids added later.
Proving
The process of leaving bread dough in a warm place to rest and rise between or after kneading and shaping.
Marinating
The process of soaking raw ingredients to soften them and add flavour.
Most marinades contain oil, wine or vinegar and some dried flavourings.
The marinade is often then used to baste the food while cooking to intensify the flavour.
Julienne
Vegetables sliced into very fine strips to be used as garnishes.
Author
DavidOnce you’ve tried home-made ice-cream, you’ll find it hard to go back to shop bought!
Raspberry ripple is a British classic and a favourite of both adults and children alike, but you can have fun experimenting with other flavours too.
Ingredients:
Using a heavy based pan, heat the cream, milk and vanilla paste until the mixture has almost reached boiling point.
Use an electric mixer to beat together the egg yolks and sugar until they reach a thick and creamy consistency.
Pour the hot cream liquid onto the egg yolks and sugar, whisking thoroughly the whole time.
Author
DavidA recent survey of Britain’s favourite meals by a major supermarket chain revealed that although as far as Brits are concerned you can’t beat a Sunday roast, we’re actually a rather cosmopolitan lot, with foreign food making up the rest of the top five.
The inclusion of the Sunday roast in the number one spot is hardly a surprise as it is a well-known favourite and furthermore it fits the growing fashion favouring the return of sit-down, home-cooked family meals.
Author
DavidRisotto is an Italian rice dish made with Arborio or risotto rice, which releases starch to give a rich, creamy texture.
It is usually cooked on the hob but some recipes go in the oven.
It combines well with a number of ingredients but this recipe is ideal for using up roast chicken leftovers.
